Tremors of the Hands and Fingers. Tremors in the fingers and hands may designate various diseases. They are present in some forms of thyroid disease, and frequently in excessive nervousness. In later years however, the most common hand and finger tremor, sometimes called “pill rolling disease,” is Parkinsonism, or Paralysis Agitans, a neurological disease thought to be caused by arteriosclerosis within the brain and spinal cord. The difficulty may progress for ten or twenty years, but, fortunately, is usually painless, and though cure of the tremor is usually not possible, there are drugs in use which reduce the tremor considerably.
There are also some surgical procedures which are sometimes advised for the treatment of this disease which have been successful in some cases. Happily the physician’s treatment can be relied upon for improvement of this disease in nearly all cases.
Raynaud’s Disease. This disease is a sudden reduction of blood circulation in the hands which brings about a blanched almost white-appearing hand which can be extremely painful. The condition is brought on by exposure to cold, such as cold water or cold weather, and is seen most often in women at younger ages, but often extends far beyond the fifty year mark.
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Figs. 149, 150. Hand infections with pus accumulations within the palm and web usually derive from finger infections or perforating injuries. They are very serious and demand immediate attention.
Care of Raynaud’s disease requires the therapy of certain drugs, and occasionally surgery, for extreme cases.